Submitted by Angie on Wed 02/17/2010 – 09:19
I came across this advertisement for sperm donors and it made me a tad uncomfortable. And no, I’m not opposed to sperm donation at all. Go ahead and read it while I wait. “So what makes a good sperm donor? Someone who’s already had children, or someone who is young with no children of their own? The answer is both. So would you be an ideal sperm donor?
Are you:
• Aged between 18 and 45
• Willing to be screened for medical conditions
• In good health, with no known serious medical disability or family history of hereditary disorders
• Able to find out (or already know) your immediate family medical history – children, siblings, parents and grandparents
• Willing to be registered as a donor
• Prepared to only donate to X Fertility Services, on a regular basis, which can be for a few months – you need to be committed!
• Avoiding putting yourself at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Happy to give us all relevant details we need about your medical history and not knowingly omit any relevant information which could affect the health of any children born as a result of your donation” Then there are a handful of forms to fill out, an FAQ, and a compensation page. Once you are approved, you go donate, wait for the tests, and collect your check. But somehow, in all those forms, no one once addressed the issues that might surround sperm donors about having biological offspring they wouldn’t know about. No discussion about whether such children could contact him later on, or if he could choose to make contact. No resources provided to help him consider is donating sperm is the right choice for him, and not just for the clinic. There seems to be a perception that because men are just ejaculating, it isn’t a real issue – after all, it isn’t as though they are undergoing a medical procedure. Just take matters into your own hands (I know, I know), drop off the cup, cash the check and go on your merry way. It sends the message that mean aren’t capable or interested in the larger issues surrounding being a sperm donor.
